


Something They Need

by magnusbicon



Series: Only Die Once, Only Live Once [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Breakfast, Drinking, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff, Food Fight, Friends to Lovers, Introspection, Kissing, M/M, Morning After, Mutual Pining, Paparazzi, Singer AU, Singing, Teasing, lots and lots of kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-25 21:18:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14985773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnusbicon/pseuds/magnusbicon
Summary: “You’re drunk.”Magnus’ thumb sweeps across his jaw, and he settles his hands on Magnus’ hips, and he can’t think of anything besides how many times he’s imagined this, how many times he’s wanted to kiss the man in front of him.“If anyone is drunk, it’s you."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't know if any of you follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/magnusbicon), but I've been doing a thread of this story for days during the power hours, and I've become super invested, so I decided to write it into a more formal fic. This is only part of it, so there's more to come! 
> 
> This all became a thing thanks to [Carla](https://twitter.com/iknowesurefire), who gave me the prompt to begin with! She also made me a lovely moodboard to go along with it. I do not deserve her, clearly. (I tried to add the moodboard to the chapter and it didn't work, so if you want to see it head over to [the tumblr post](https://magnusbicon.tumblr.com/post/175067684140/something-they-need)!)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!

Alec sighs as he enters Hunter’s Moon, rubbing at the back of his neck and offering Maia a weak smile as he sits down on one of the many empty stools. He had a long evening fighting with his parents over the phone, and he is ready to drink away his sorrows. He knows that they mean well- or at least his mother does- but they just keep pushing and pushing him, and if they don’t stop soon, something is going to break. Whether it’s him or their relationship, he isn’t sure, but he doesn’t really want to find out.

“You look like hell,” Maia comments, moving over to stand in front of him from the other side of the bar. She leans her arms across the surface, raising an eyebrow, and Alec scoffs.

“You say that as if I don’t always look like hell,” he counters, rolling his eyes, and she snorts.

“Not always,” she reasons. “Just when you come here without Magnus.”

The mention of his name sends a bittersweet feeling rocketing through Alec’s veins, and he freezes as he remembers that Magnus is actually back in the city. He’d been on tour for almost a year, but now he’s back. They haven’t spoken in a while, distance and responsibilities occupying their minds, but then again, Magnus never really leaves Alec’s thoughts.

Magnus was actually the person who told him of this bar’s existence back when they had just gotten close, and they’ve come here a lot together since then. Of course not in the way Alec wants them to go places together, because they’re just friends.

“Still pining over him, I see,” Maia teases, and Alec focuses back in on her with a glare.

“I’m not pining, he’s just-”

“Speak of the devil,” Maia interrupts, her tone full of surprise as she looks past him toward the door. He’s about to turn around when a hand rests on his shoulder that he doesn’t need to see to recognize immediately.

He can feel the solid press of rings.

“I prefer to think of myself as a warlock,” Magnus’ smooth voice defends as he slides into the stool beside Alec, a crooked smile on his face, and Alec’s heart stutters pathetically. He’s used to being able to prepare himself before seeing Magnus, but this is a complete surprise.

“Hey,” he breathes out, before clearing his throat and getting ahold of himself. He doesn’t want to sound like an over excited teenager who is finally having a conversation with his crush, not that the idea is too far off from the truth. “I figured you’d be sleeping off your jet lag for at least another week.”

He can’t really help his reaction when Magnus turns to look at him, though, his throat tightening as the full force of those bright eyes hits him. There is not a word that could ever properly describe just how gorgeous Magnus Bane is. He looks a little bit tired, but otherwise flawless, and Alec gets lost in tracing the smoothness of his makeup and the bulge of his arms against the sleeves of his shirt with his eyes.

“You know me,” Magnus says, his head tilted and the skin next to his eyes crinkled in the way that always makes Alec’s stomach twist pleasantly, “I can’t stay away from the nightlife for long.”

Maia slips away to go serve another customer that just walked in, but Alec doesn’t even notice, too transfixed by the man in front of him. He’s always like this when Magnus is around, completely oblivious to the rest of the world so that he can keep his full attention on that smile, that laugh, that irresistible charm that he still isn’t completely used to. His fans love pointing out his lack of ability to hide how he feels, though they don’t really have any idea what’s actually going on in his head. If they did, he’d be even more screwed than he already is.

“It’s only 9 pm,” Alec retorts, to which Magnus only responds with a wink, and Alec has to turn away for a moment to let his heart calm down. “I could probably outdrink you at this point.”

“I’d like to see you try, Lightwood,” Magnus laughs, and Alec looks back at him with a grin.

 

✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮

 

An hour later, Alec is drunk off of his ass and Magnus is definitely on his way there. They’ve been trying to play pool for the past 20 minutes, since Magnus claimed he needed a rematch after last time they were here, but Alec keeps sinking the cue ball instead of the solids like he’s supposed to, so Magnus drags him away from the table.

“Okay, clearly we’re not gonna get anywhere with that tonight,” Magnus chuckles out as he pushes Alec down into a chair.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alec complains as he points at Magnus accusingly. “I was winning.”

But then he looks up at Magnus, who is standing over him with a fond smile on his face, and god, how is he supposed to function like a normal human being when Magnus Bane is looking at him like that? How does anyone _ever_ function when Magnus is within 500 feet of them?

“Yes, of course you were. You’re the best pool player I know, Alexander.”

And then there’s the way Magnus says his name, like every syllable holds an unspeakable amount of worth, like he’s more than just one of Magnus’ many friends. Alec knows it’s all in his head, but he can’t stop himself from wishing anyway.

But then Magnus leans down, his fond smile now turned mischievous, and whispers, “Stay here. I’ll be right back,” and Alec doesn’t even have a brain anymore. He’s just dead weight in a sea of drunken faces, hopelessly pining after his friend, just like Maia said.

He sits there for a while, his mind whirring but unable to hone in on one specific thought. He’s usually not the type to get drunk, but he can’t deny that it does help him loosen up and let go of things that would usually make him hesitate. He’s not sure how much time passes before Magnus returns, but it feels like an eternity, and Alec waves happily when he comes back into view. He holds a glass of clear liquid in one hand and a microphone in the other, but Alec doesn’t even question it when he hands them both over.

“I’m not a vodka gay,” he slurs out, then chuckles to himself. “I mean guy. Kind of.”

“It’s not vodka,” Magnus replies, clearly holding back his own laugh. “It’s water. Now drink some of it and sober up so we can dazzle the crowd with our talent.”

Alec squints out at the mostly empty bar and smiles, then shrugs and downs the entire glass in one go. He stands up, clutching the microphone in his hand, and welcomes Magnus’ grip on his shoulders when he nearly falls right back into the chair. “Let’s do this.”

Magnus shakes his head at him in amusement and grabs his hand, pulling him over to a makeshift stage that he created by pushing a few tables together, completely unaware of Alec’s existential crisis at the simple touch. Getting Alec up there is a different story, however. Two onlookers end up having to help pull him up due to his complete lack of coordination whilst inebriated, and choose to stand close to the side in case he suddenly takes a nosedive. He offers them a sheepish smile before he turns back to Magnus, who taps his own microphone briefly to test it out before he speaks.

“Good evening, New York!” he says loudly, the microphone screeching and causing a few people to cover their ears. “My lovely friend Alexander and I will be your entertainment for the night.”

Someone wolf whistles from across the bar and Magnus laughs, shaking his head. “Not that kind of entertainment,” he amends, though he shoots a wink at the general direction the sound came from. But suddenly Alec feels a lot more sober than he did a moment before, because his brain is stuck on one word.

 _Friend_.

It’s not even the first time Magnus has said it tonight, or the first time that it’s made his stomach twist, but it is the first time that it really hits him that he doesn’t want to be Magnus’ friend. He wants more. He wants _everything_.

He’s known for a long time that he has feelings for Magnus that are nowhere near platonic, but he’s never actually considered acting on them before. But now he takes in the smile on Magnus’ face as he points to Maia and says something into his microphone that Alec doesn’t register, marvels at the rings on his fingers and how they reflect the light, watches the sway of his hips as he stands, and he opens his mouth. He’s not entirely sure what will come out of it, but it doesn’t matter anyway, because he is immediately cut off by music blasting through the building and the smooth sound of Magnus’ voice filling the space between them, and he is far too entranced to interrupt.

He recognizes the song after Magnus sings the first few lines, and he can’t stop himself from smiling as the words flood his mind.

“You got something I need,” Magnus sings. “In this world full of people, there’s one killing me."

“And if we only die once, I wanna die with you,” Alec finishes, his heart practically melting as he meets Magnus’ gaze and sees the joy radiating from his eyes. He’s never performed with Magnus before, if this even counts as a performance, but now that he knows how it feels he never wants to stop.

They end the song a few minutes later anyway, both of them sporting beaming smiles. A mixture of amused cheers and genuine applause fills the room, but Alec pays it no mind, unable to focus on anything except for the man standing beside him as his heart beats wildly.

“Alright,” Maia laughs, approaching their little stage. “Take your karaoke party somewhere else. Russell is about to start his shift, and he’s a lot less forgiving than I am.”

Magnus and Alec exchange a look, and Magnus shrugs, hopping down from the table and holding out his hand. Alec takes it without hesitation, lowering himself to the ground, and before he can even ask, “What now?” Magnus starts leading him toward the exit.

“Magnus,” Alec breathes out a laugh as he’s pulled out into the warm summer night air. “Where are we going?” A few passersby sidestep as Magnus suddenly turns around, his hands landing on Alec’s chest as he faces him.

“I don’t know,” he answers honestly, and his voice is so low, such a sharp contrast to the noise of the city. It makes a shiver run down Alec’s spine, and his breath hitches in his throat as their eyes meet. Once again he opens his mouth to speak, intent on saying something that will move things forward, to no avail.

“Oh my god!” a voice interrupts. “Can I get a picture with you two?” and Alec swears a look of frustration crosses Magnus’ face, but it’s gone before he can really be sure.

It’s at that moment that he remembers they’re in public. He’s used to sneaking around the streets of New York, a baseball cap pulled low over his face and his head down, not standing in the middle of the sidewalk with Magnus Bane’s hands pressed to his chest. Not that he’s complaining.

They take pictures with everyone who asks, bearing the small crowd that forms around them after the first fan wanders off, and then sneak off at the nearest opportunity, ducking into an empty alleyway to escape all of the foot traffic.

“God, being famous is so hard,” Magnus huffs out jokingly, and Alec shakes his head, leaning back against the nearest wall and closing his eyes. He feels a lot more steady on his feet now, his mind much clearer than it was before, and he’s glad.

His newfound sobriety, however, does not prepare him for the sound of Magnus’ approaching footsteps, or the way those elegant fingers travel up his chest once more, eventually stopping at the spot right between his neck and shoulder.

He stops breathing for a moment, his mind reeling as he realizes that there isn’t anything left to interrupt them. The sounds of the city are muffled now, seemingly far away, and he slowly opens his eyes to see that Magnus is already staring back at him.

His eyes are wide and vulnerable, somehow shining in the low light, and Alec is so gone it’s not even funny. His gaze falls to Magnus’ lips without even thinking about it, and against his better judgment, he whispers, “You’re drunk.”

Magnus’ thumb sweeps across his jaw, and he settles his hands on Magnus’ hips, and he can’t think of anything besides how many times he’s imagined this, how many times he’s wanted to kiss the man in front of him.

“If anyone is drunk, it’s you,” Magnus replies, somehow stepping closer so that there’s absolutely no space between them anymore. The corners of his lips are tilted up just slightly, and Alec is fairly certain he’s going to drop dead, but he can’t do this is if it’s just some drunken act of spontaneity. He likes Magnus too much, and he has a sense of self preservation that is just big enough to not let himself be destroyed for something that’ll only last one night, even if Magnus’ nose is brushing against his own and his lips are barely an inch away now.

“If this is just a one time thing,” he breathes out, unable to think straight, “I can’t-” but Magnus stops him, shaking his head.

“Alexander,” he whispers, “it’s not.”

“It’s not,” Alec repeats dumbly, pulling back slightly as his eyes fly open once more. “Really?”

Magnus’ eyes are full of amusement as he shakes his head again. “You are the least observant person I know, Lightwood.”

Alec is about to reply, but Magnus leans in before he can, slotting their lips together.

And _oh_ , Magnus’ lips are softer than he imagined. He pushes into them, one of his hands flying up to cup Magnus’ face, and his eyes fall shut as Magnus tilts his head to deepen it. His heart is hammering from the mixture of excitement and nerves, but he welcomes the feeling, embracing the rush that comes with kissing the man he’s wanted for so long.

Before he can resist it, a smile spreads across his face and prevents them from continuing, and he can’t even find it in himself to be mad about it. Magnus pulls back with a quiet laugh, keeping his eyes shut, and Alec presses their foreheads together gently, biting his lip in an attempt to turn his giddiness down a notch.

“You’re ruining the moment,” Magnus jokes.

“I’m kissing Magnus Bane. Can you blame me?”

Magnus leans back at that, his eyes narrowing and his lips pressing together in an amused smirk. “I’m starting to think you’re one of my fans in a very convincing Alec suit,” he says with mock suspicion, and Alec gasps dramatically, leaning back to catch his eye.

“How did you figure it out? I spent over 20 years making this thing.”

Magnus rolls his eyes. “So not only are you the most unobservant person I know, but also the dorkiest. I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future.” Alec means to answer that, he really does, but Magnus’ lips are right there and he already knows how they feel, so it’s not like he can just ignore them.

Their second kiss is slower and a little bit less desperate, but definitely a whole lot sweeter. The urge to smile is gone now, and Alec is grateful, because he doesn’t want to stop any time soon.

So of course his phone rings barely two minutes later.

He sighs against Magnus’ lips, completely fed up with interruptions, but it’s Isabelle’s ringtone and he has to make sure it’s not an emergency, especially at this time of night.

“What?” he asks bluntly the second he picks up the call, earning a smile from Magnus and an indignant noise from his sister.

“Have you checked your social media in the past few minutes?” she asks, sounding amused, and Alec stills.

“No,” he answers, dread rushing through him. “Why?” Isabelle laughs so loud that Magnus hears it through the speaker, and he raises an eyebrow.

“You’ll just have to see for yourself.” She hangs up before he can question her further.

He sighs again and stares down at his screen. “I have a feeling I know what this is going to be,” he breathes out, and goes to his twitter app.

His notifications are flooded.

He presses the first one he sees and closes his eyes as his suspicions are confirmed.

“What?” Magnus asks, stepping closer. Instead of explaining, Alec ups the volume and turns his screen so that Magnus can see, awaiting his reaction.

He stays silent for the duration of the video, and Alec opens his eyes to see him staring down at the screen fondly. He hums softly when it ends. “We do make a good team, don’t we?”

Alec’s legs feel a little bit weak at the sentiment, and he nods.

“Would you mind if people knew about us?” he asks hesitantly, his eyes sweeping over Magnus’ face for the millionth time that night. “If there _is_ an us,” he amends quickly. He knows exactly where he stands, but he wants to make sure they’re both on the same page.

“Do you want there to be an us?” Magnus’ shoulders sway and his hand moves up to fiddle with his ear cuff as he asks.

“Yes,” Alec responds quietly, almost afraid that the admission will scare Magnus away.

“Then there is an us.” Magnus steps forward and intertwines their fingers, and Alec lets out a breath of relief, pulling him closer and pressing his face into his neck. “And no, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that,” he mumbles into Magnus’ skin.

“I think I do,” Magnus laughs, brushing his free hand through Alec’s hair.

They stay like that for a moment, letting everything sink in, but then Magnus speaks up. “Do you want to break the internet completely?”

Alec narrows his eyes and leans back, tilting his head as he sees the spark in Magnus’ eyes. “How would we do that?”

Magnus grins and grips the front of his shirt, pulling him in for another kiss that leaves him desperate for more, but it doesn’t last long at all, as a flash goes off behind his eyelids. For a brief moment he’s afraid that someone has spotted them and decided to snap a picture, but then he opens his eyes just as Magnus is turning his phone towards him, and he understands. A picture of the moment before glows on the screen, and he feels a blush surface on his cheeks.

“Yeah,” he agrees, letting out a breathy laugh. “Let’s do that.”

They lean over the phone screen together as they think up a good caption, and then Magnus posts the picture to his instagram. They watch his notifications for a moment as the likes and comments roll in, and then Magnus exits out of the app and puts his phone away, a content smile on his face.

“What now?” Alec finally asks, grabbing Magnus’ free hand once more.

Magnus tilts his head for a moment, contemplating, then offers, “My place?”

Alec doesn’t have to think twice about his answer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ve always wanted one of those,” Alec says, watching as Magnus pours the batter into the waffle iron. Magnus breathes out a short laugh and turns once he’s finished, his eyebrow raised. 
> 
> “Here everyone was thinking that the famous Alec Lightwood’s dream was to be a well-known singer, when in reality all he’s ever wanted was a quality waffle iron."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been so fun to write so far. I really hope you guys enjoy this second chapter, and remember that there's still more to come in the next installment of the series!

The sound of rather obnoxious purring is what wakes Alec the next morning, and he nearly jumps out of his skin when he slowly opens his eyes just in time to see a cat to lean in and curiously sniff his face. His sleep-fogged brain takes a moment to remember that a random cat did not, in fact, manage to sneak into his apartment, but that he isn’t in his apartment at all.

He’s at Magnus’ place. He’s in Magnus’ _bed_.

Their legs are still tangled together under the sheets and Magnus’ head rests in the crook of Alec’s neck, his steady breaths brushing against his skin. Alec’s pulse speeds up and he just stares for a moment, completely enraptured by the fact that this is real.

The cat- Chairman Meow, if he’s recalling correctly- walks in a circle for a moment before settling down on his chest and looking at him with wide eyes. Alec breaks out of his thoughts and reaches forward, gently scratching behind the Chairman’s ears, and smiles softly when the purring begins once more. He’s never been much of a cat person, but he can definitely make an exception for this one.

He spends a few minutes sneaking glances at Magnus between giving some much needed attention to his cat, and then frees one of his hands to grab his phone. Before he even unlocks the screen he sees that he has 5 missed calls from his mother, 10 from his father, and 20 texts from Simon- most of which contain a frankly unnecessary amount of exclamation points.

If anyone should be that excited, it’s him.

He is about to reply to his best friend when Magnus lets out a long breath beside him. Immediately he completely forgets about answering anyone and sets his phone back down on the nightstand. Magnus’ hair tickles his skin as he moves his head and yawns, and Alec smiles fondly, wishing he could actually see his face.

“Good morning,” he whispers, his heart beginning to race as he breaks through the morning silence, but he is rewarded with a sleepy smile as Magnus leans away to meet his eyes.

“Morning,” Magnus responds. His voice is gravelly, he has sand in his eyes, and his lips are slightly chapped.

He’s the most beautiful person Alec has ever seen.

They look at each other for a moment, the events of the night before coming back to both of them, and Alec grins at the memory of Magnus pulling him into that alleyway, of finally giving in and kissing him after so much pining. He’s about to tell Magnus just how much he enjoyed everything about last night, when Magnus’ head tilts and a tiny frown crosses over his features.

“What happened last night?” he asks, confusion saturating his voice, and Alec freezes.

Isn’t it pretty self explanatory what happened last night?

“Um- you don’t...remember?” he stutters out, moving to sit up, but then Magnus’ laughter rings out between them and he presses a warm hand to Alec’s chest, right above where the Chairman is hopping off with a disgruntled meow.

“I’m just kidding,” he manages to get out between chuckles, and Alec glares at him, though he can’t really find it in himself to be mad.

“You’re such an asshole.” Alec laughs along with him, swatting at his arm. “You can’t mess with my heart like that, Bane. It’s still barely beating after last night.”

Magnus smirks at that, and he sits up completely, untangling their legs and then swinging one of his over Alec’s to straddle him. “You’re not so bad yourself,” he says, his voice low in a way he quickly figured out that Alec loves the night before.

Alec smiles innocently at him and shakes his head, and with a quick move flips them so that Magnus lands on the mattress with a huff and Alec hovers over him. “How generous of you to say.”

He leans down to capture Magnus’ lips, barely holding his grin at bay as they brush together, but it only lasts for a second before they’re pulling back, their noses scrunching.

“We should probably brush our teeth,” Alec suggests sheepishly, and Magnus agrees, sitting up as Alec rolls to the side.

“I have a spare toothbrush in the cabinet. Come on.” Magnus holds out a hand once he is standing, and Alec takes it, allowing himself to be lead into the bathroom.

“Such a gentleman,” Alec teases as Magnus rips the toothbrush out from the plastic container for him, and Magnus rolls his eyes, but a feeling of absolute contentment rolls over them.

Because there’s something so oddly intimate about standing side by side and brushing your teeth with someone. It’s so mundane, so completely and utterly average, but it feels extraordinary. Alec has never really had something like this before, something real and solid. It’s always been one night stands and short flings, never something that felt permanent. But with Magnus, he feels more secure than he ever has in his life.

Magnus finishes brushing first, and Alec meets his eyes in the mirror, ignoring his own somewhat disheveled appearance. The second his toothbrush is rinsed off, Magnus gently pushes him against the counter, his hands resting on his chest just like the night before. Alec’s heart stutters, and he wonders if Magnus can feel it.

“Hi,” he murmurs, earning a quiet laugh.

“Hi,” Magnus whispers back, a beaming smile on his face as he slides one of his hands up to hook around the back of Alec’s neck and pulls him into a soft kiss. He tastes like mint, and Alec’s mind goes blank as he pushes closer, his tongue sliding across the seam of his lips.

“I should probably go,” Alec breathes out sometime later when they pull back to catch their breath. “My agent is going to kill me if I don’t check in soon.”

His mind is still hazy, and the way Magnus’ teeth graze against a sensitive spot on his neck certainly isn’t helping. He swears he’ll never get used to this feeling. Magnus finally leans back with a pout, and Alec laughs.

“We’ve been together less than a day and you already know how hard it is for me to say no to you,” he complains, stealing another brief kiss.

“Stay for breakfast,” Magnus suggests innocently. “I make a mean Belgian waffle.”

Alec narrows his eyes for a moment, then sighs, giving in. They head into the kitchen together, Magnus giving Alec the job of fetching all of the ingredients that he needs, and then they get to work.

“I’ve always wanted one of those,” Alec says, watching as Magnus pours the batter into the waffle iron. Magnus breathes out a short laugh and turns once he’s finished, his eyebrow raised.

“Here everyone was thinking that the famous Alec Lightwood’s dream was to be a well-known singer, when in reality all he’s ever wanted was a quality waffle iron,” he teases, and Alec bites his lip to hold back a laugh.

Out of the corner of his eye he spots the bowl of batter that is still yet to be used, and an idea pops into his head. Offering Magnus a coy grin, he steps forward, erasing most of the space between them, and says lowly, “Can’t a man have more than one dream?”

“Of course,” Magnus agrees, completely oblivious as Alec reaches over and dips his fingers into the batter, “I certainly couldn’t be with someone who didn’t.”

“It’s good to know you have standards,” Alec retorts, and Magnus laughs, his eyes flicking down to Alec’s mouth. He leans in slowly, and right as their lips touch Alec lifts his hand and slides his fingers across Magnus’ face, immediately breaking out into laughter as Magnus jumps back.

“What the f- Alexander!” he exclaims accusingly, his gaze zeroing in on the batter that Alec is wiping off of his hand.

Alec is too busy cracking up to notice Magnus grab the ladle that he used to pour the batter into the waffle maker, and before he can prevent it, Magnus is dumping a spoonful of it right into his hair without any remorse whatsoever.

“You did not just do that,” Alec gasps, his hand flying up to his hair and coming into contact with the goopy substance.

“What are you gonna do about it, Lightwood?”

Needless to say, twenty minutes- and one burnt waffle- later, they finally sit down at the table, completely covered in batter but still smiling as their knees brush under the table. They eat in silence for a few minutes, and Alec is grateful that Magnus isn’t the type of person who feels that he always needs to have something to say. Alec loves the quiet moments, where they’re both lost in their own thoughts and perfectly content to let themselves drift in each other’s company. But then a question pops into Alec’s head, one that he’s been wondering ever since they first kissed the night before, and he can’t help but blurt it out.

“When did you know?” he asks softly, glancing between his plate and Magnus’ face. He knows he should explain what he means, considering he gave absolutely no context, but Magnus seems to get it judging by the look on his face, so he waits.

“I don’t want to be cliché and say the first time I saw you, but it’s close. Before Isabelle even introduced us, I watched you trip over the first chair you encountered when you walked into the building and then how you played it off like you were tying your shoe. You were not only breathtakingly beautiful, but also adorably clumsy. I guess you could say I have a weak spot for that.”

Magnus’ eyes are full of so much sincerity as he speaks that Alec has to look away so he can properly gather his thoughts without seeming like a love struck idiot.

“I can’t believe you saw that,” he says, covering his face with a laugh of embarrassment. “I was so nervous to meet you and I was determined to be smooth, but the second I walked through the door and caught sight of you I tripped. I’m such a mess.”

Magnus reaches over and takes one of his hands, pulling it away from his face, and Alec peeks one eye open as Magnus asks, “You were nervous to meet me? Why?” Alec drops his other hand then, a deadpan expression crossing his features as Magnus stares back at him in clear confusion.

“Have you seen yourself? Or heard your own voice? Or taken stock of how many fans you have?”

Magnus squeezes his hand and rolls his eyes, but there’s an undeniable presence of fondness in his voice when he assures, “You have just as many fans.”

Alec shakes his head, his pulse speeding up as he tries to formulate the words he truly needs in his head. He needs to make Magnus understand that this is different.

“You just have this way about you. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like when you speak, everyone stops what they’re doing to listen, no matter what the subject is. You’re on a completely different level than the rest of us, except you don’t take advantage of it or even realize it most of the time. You’re so humble and hard on yourself, but everyone else thinks the world of you. Including me.” Magnus’ hand lifts to his ear cuff as he listens, a slight frown tugging on the corners of his lips, but his eyes don’t leave Alec’s.

“Alexander…” he starts, but eventually just shakes his head and leans across the table to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”

They spend another hour alternating between talking about their families and kissing, but eventually Alec leans back with a sigh. “I really have to go. I haven’t answered anyone’s messages yet today. Simon is going to think you murdered me in my sleep and soon enough the police will be breaking down your door.”

“As if we did much sleeping,” Magnus scoffs, causing a startled laugh to escape Alec’s throat.

“They don’t have to know that.” Magnus’ eyes travel up and down Alec’s body as he stands, a smirk forming on his lips, and Alec is about to raise an eyebrow at his lack of subtlety, but comes up short when he speaks.

“You might want to borrow a shirt and wash your hair in the sink or something. You have a lot of batter on you.” Alec had completely forgotten about that, and he feels his ears heat up at the thought of walking outside looking like this.

“Right. Thanks.”

Magnus walks him to the door when they have both managed to make themselves look semi-presentable, and he lets out a long sigh as Alec turns to face him. Neither of them want to pop the little bubble that they’d created for themselves the night before, but they both have responsibilities.

That won’t stop Alec from milking every second that he can out of it, though.

“Walk me to the car?” he suggests, a guilty smile on his face, and Magnus laughs, not even hesitating to follow him out.

They take the elevator down to the lobby, but they’re stopped almost immediately by the doorman when they step out. “You might not want to go out that way, Mr. Bane.”

They both turn to look, immediately spotting the large crowd of people waiting outside of the doors, most of them holding cameras and a few of them already snapping pictures through the glass.

“This is what we get for breaking the internet,” Alec says, earning a grin from Magnus.

He tilts his head and sways his shoulders as he teases, “Afraid of a few paparazzi, Alexander?”

Alec raises an eyebrow, and without another word, begins walking toward the door. “I love a challenge,” he says, shooting Magnus a bright smile over his shoulder. Magnus curses, and a second later he is beside him, intertwining their fingers just before they step out into the chaos.

“There’s my Uber,” Alec yells out so that he’ll be heard over all of the noise. He tugs on Magnus’ hand and they weave their way through, ignoring the cameras being shoved into their faces. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? This is a lot of people.”

Magnus laughs breathily as they reach the door, and he nods. “Go do your job, Lightwood. I’ll be fine.”

Alec searches his eyes for a moment, making sure he’s being serious, then leans in and kisses him before he can overthink it. The camera flashes increase around them, but he barely notices as Magnus’ fingers slide across the back of his neck, prolonging the moment.

“Bye,” he says softly against Magnus’ ear, squeezing the hand he’s still holding one last time, then he opens the door and climbs into the car, watching as Magnus pushes his way back into the building.

“Looks like you’ve had an eventful morning,” the Uber driver comments as they pull back into the traffic, and Alec lets out a quiet laugh.

“You have no idea,” he answers, his eyes locked on the window as they get further and further away from the building. He’s already having a little bit of trouble believing any of it was real.

“Oh, I think everyone does. My son is obsessed with you and Magnus Bane. He woke me up last night with all of the screaming he did over that picture of you two kissing. He’s going to completely lose his mind when he finds out I drove you.”

Alec can feel a blush creeping up his neck, and a sheepish smile spreads across his face. “I would say I’m sorry about that, but it would be a lie,” he admits, pressing his thumb into his palm in an attempt to calm himself down.

There is no universe or dimension where he would ever regret choosing Magnus. He’s never been with someone this way before, but if there’s one thing he’s learned through the observation of others, it’s that relationships take effort, and Magnus is worth all the effort in the world.

“I don’t blame you. I remember when I first got together with my husband. We’re past the honeymoon stage now, but that kind of love never goes away.”

And suddenly thoughts of the future are flashing in front of Alec’s eyes- how they’ll spend their one year anniversary, the warmth of Magnus’ hands as he slides a ring onto his finger, the shine of his eyes as he spins their child around the living room. He’s getting ahead of himself and he knows it, but he can’t seem to stop himself, because Magnus isn’t the type of person you ever get tired of. He’s the kind of person you hang onto for as long as possible and will the universe to let you keep forever.

Before he knows it, they’re pulling up in front of his apartment building, and he is jarred out of his thoughts. He blinks a couple times, and then turns to the driver. “I don’t have anything to autograph right now, but why don’t I give you my agent’s email and we can set something up? I’d love to meet your son,” Alec offers, smiling when he is met with grateful enthusiasm.

“Thank you so much.” He waves as he slides out of the car, feeling better than he has in months.

He has no idea what the future holds, but he does know who he wants beside him through every up and down, and he doesn't see that changing anytime soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr at [magnusbicon](https://magnusbicon.tumblr.com/)!


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